22 AUSTRALIAN SNAKES. 
means of which they hold on to projecting objects. Their food consists 
entirely of fish, and a few species use crustacea also. All of them appear 
to be viviparous, and perform the act of parturition in the water. They 
do not grow to any considerable size, are of gentle disposition, and their bite 
is by no means dangerous. They do not feed in captivity, and therefore 
die after a short time. 
CHRBERUS, Cuvier. 
Head rather high, of moderate length and width ; body cylindrical, 
its hinder part and the tail rather compressed. Cleft of the mouth wide, 
turned upwards behind ; eye, small, with vertical pupil; snout covered 
with shields, occiput with scales ; nostril situated on the upper side of the 
head, between two nasals, the anterior of which is the larger, forming a 
suture with the corresponding nasal of the other side; two small triangular 
anterior frontals; eye surrounded by a ring of small orbitals, the super- 
ciliary being well developed; posterior upper labials divided transversely 
into two. Scales keeled, in from twenty-one to twenty-five rows; ventrals 
of moderate width; anal bifid; subcaudals two-rowed. Maxillary teeth 
in a continuous series, slightly increasing in length posteriorly, the last being 
grooved. Mandibulary teeth, longest in front, decreasing in strength and 
more closely set behind. Viviparous. 
AUSTRALIAN BocxaDamM. Cerberus australis. 
Cerberus australis. Gray, Cat. of Snakes in B. M., p. 65. 
Slate-black in spirits; under lip and beneath white ; throat with two 
oblong black streaks; under side with two series of large, square, black 
spots, united by a rather broad black central streak ; tail, black beneath. 
The generic and specific characters are taken from Giinther’s and 
Gray’s works. There are no specimens of this snake in the Museum 
collection. The North Coast of New Holland and Port Essington are 
given as the habitat of this reptile. 
MYRON, Gray. 
The characters which distinguish this genus appear to be the same 
as those of “Cerberus.” 
